Every day there are problems that need to be faced. They occur in all sorts of ways and in all sorts of locations. People view them differently and some may not even see them as issues. That is the hard thing about problems. To some they are not challenging at all. But, coming from a completely self-centered point of view, it is easy to identify problems. They may not be the worst or the most collective, but they are still problems, right?
So diving into the question, what is the biggest problem at BYU? I'm sure this is a question that enters many minds. But, the question is, does it come out with an answer? It is a question that does require some thought. Even coming from that self-centered point of view it is not the easiest to answer. But, I would have to say that a lot of classes are too big. Yes, it's a large university. It is likely that the budget is not large enough to hire enough teachers due to the lower tuition cost. All of those counter-arguments are very valid. But is not the bigger problem that students are having troubles learning?
I had an American Heritage class last semester that caused me a lot of grief. First, let's forget that it is a hard class and focus on the fact that it could have been easier. I come from a small town, so maybe I am a little biased, but I find smaller better. Having a class with close to 400 students in it is crazy. My graduating class only had 250. But the point is, am I even learning much? I found it very hard to learn from nothing but a textbook shoved in front of me and an hour of the teacher basically telling me what I already read. There is not much applied learning. There is no one-on-one time that is needed. There is not enough help offered when it is needed. They try to put the TAs in there to make it seem more balanced, but to be honest, it does not help. The TAs still have their own classes to go to, there is very limited time to receive any help that is needed.
I learn better in a smaller environment where the teacher has the time to answer my questions, where there is time to go around and make sure that the concept is understood, where every student can interact with one another and vibe off each other. Learning is a group effort. So, obviously not all the classes are huge and there are some areas where that small learning environment is achieved. This class, for example, is great. I have already seen all those things that I am talking about. The teacher knowing our names, being able to sit next to the same person twice and learn their name, interacting with each other. That is the best way to learn and make it stick.
I agree with you. I especially agree with your point that large classes often fail to give the students the one-on-one time they need. I find large classes harder to pay attention in because there is less of a personal connection with the teacher. I think a lot of people would benefit from smaller class sizes, although I don't think there is always a practical way to make the classes smaller.
ReplyDeleteGreat point Leslie, there's not really an easy fix to large classes, would we like to deny students the ability and opportunity to study at such a wonderful school? To what limit?
ReplyDeleteThough I have felt as well that sometimes I don't want to ask a question because I don't want to interrupt the class, or I don't want to look stupid in front of 400 people and that hinders my learning. But I suppose it wont hurt to gird up my loins and ask anyway!
I definitely agree that large classes can be intimidating, especially for freshmen who are coming right out of high school, who are accustomed to the smaller class sizes there. When classes are bigger, the students and professors have a hard time creating a personal relationship. I have found that when I know my teacher and they know me, I tend to enjoy the class more. This problem perplexes universities worldwide and I think it will be hard to ever find a fix.
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